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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · game · content · stand · fall · bound · ball · bass

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bound — tied together
  9. game — wild animals
  10. object — an aim
  11. content — happy
  12. bound — certain
  13. game — a match
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bass — low music
  18. object — to protest
  19. bound — obliged
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. object — a thing
  22. content — the amount
  23. fall — the season
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com